"IF WE DON'T HAVE DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF OUR ECONOMIES, WE DON'T HAVE DEMOCRACY"

MAKING HIS FIRST visit to the United States, the leader of the Podemos Party is in New York this week to discuss the rise of Podemos and meet with American activists.

Recent polls indicate that , if an election was held today, Podemos would likely win a majority in the Spanish national assembly. Last month some 300,000 rallied in central Madrid in support of Podemos.

Pablo Iglesias was interviewed by Amy Goodman and Aaron Mate of Democracy Now, which screens in New Zealand on Face Television (Sky 83).

Iglesias said that Spain had become a "colony of financial powers" located in Germany and other power centres of Europe.

"I think if we don't have democratic control of our economies, we don't have democracy. It's impossible to separate economy and democracy, in my opinion." said Iglesias.